Embodiments described herein relate generally to a method of analysis and relate more specifically to a method for analyzing or reading an agglutination reaction.
Analysis methods are available to analyze a number of reactions, such as immunochemical reactions and the like. One such reaction is an agglutination reaction. For example, in an agglutination reaction, elements are mixed together on a tray such that, if the reaction is "positive," the elements group, collect or clump together, and if the reaction is "negative," the elements do not clump together. Classification of the agglutination reaction may be in two, i.e. positive or negative, or more, i.e. negative, positive, borderline, etc., classes. The classes may be dependent upon the strength or degree of clumping of the elements mixed together. The degree of clumping may be indicative of a property of one of the elements. In one instance, this property may be the presence of an item of interest, such as an antibody, a protein and the like, in an element.
Once the agglutination reaction takes place, the results of the reaction should be read or should be analyzed in order to determine, for instance, whether the reaction is positive or negative. One way of reading this reaction is for an operator to look at the tray on which the reaction took place. The operator, upon looking at the tray, decides, based on his own interpretation of what he sees, whether the reaction is positive or negative. The operator reports his read of the reaction to others, such as a doctor and the like, who may make a decision of treatment based on the report from the operator.
By reading the agglutination reaction in this manner, a number of problems may occur. Because the operator uses his own interpretation of what he sees, the level of skill of the operator may effect the reported results of the reaction. For instance, an operator who has many years of training and experience in reading an agglutination reaction may make a more accurate read of the agglutination reaction than an operator who does not have as much training and experience. This possible difference in readings of a given reaction is of interest given that a doctor's treatment decision may be based on that reading.
In an effort to reduce the likelihood of possibly adverse effects caused by an operator's reading of an agglutination reaction, automated methods of reading reactions have been developed. While these methods may provide advantages over an operator's read of a reaction, there is always room for improvement.
For example, one automated method of reading an agglutination reaction detects light sent from a tray on which the agglutination reaction takes place. The intensity of the light is measured. The reaction is determined to be positive, negative or not identified, i.e. placed into one of two or three classes. However, variations or changes in the light detected may adversely effect the reading of the reaction. Additionally, increased detail or the ability to place a given reaction into multiple classes may be difficult. Further, relations between two classes of a given reaction may not be easily identified.
Given these considerations, it is desirable to provide an improved analysis method for reading a reaction and specifically for reading an agglutination reaction.